Complex SQL query into Zend - php

Question

I am trying to build a social network using Zend Framework. However, recently I have difficulty in making some complex SQL queries into Zend language. For example:
"SELECT t.plural_name, p.name as users_name, u.ID
FROM users u, profile p, relationships r, relationship_types t
WHERE t.ID=r.type
AND r.accepted=1
AND (r.usera={$user} OR r.userb={$user})
AND IF( r.usera={$user},u.ID=r.userb,u.ID=r.usera)
AND p.user_id=u.ID"
How could I execute this query using Zend's select() object? Thank you very much!

Answer 1

Whenever I have complex queries to deal with, I usually try to run them in MySQL. Once I have found the exact SQL statement, I start to 'translate' it to Zend. I seems a bit complex but in the long run, you get to do them in Zend right away. Here is how I break it down.
First figure out what the SQL statement is:
SELECT t.plural_name, p.name as users_name, u.ID
FROM users u, profile p, relationships r, relationship_types t
WHERE t.ID=r.type AND r.accepted=1 AND
(r.usera={$user} OR r.userb={$user}) AND
IF( r.usera={$user},u.ID=r.userb,u.ID=r.usera) AND
p.user_id=u.ID
Now, you will want to convert all the relationships to joins. The joins are somewhat scary at the beginning but it's simply a way to put the table and the criteria on which it joins to another table in one line.
SELECT t.plural_name, p.name AS users_name, u.ID
FROM users u
INNER JOIN profile AS p ON p.user_id = u.ID
INNER JOIN relationships AS r ON IF(r.usera={$user}, u.ID=r.userb, u.ID=r.usera)
INNER JOIN relationship_types AS t ON t.ID = r.type
WHERE
(r.usera={$user} OR r.userb={$user}) AND
r.accepted=1
Now that it is written in a more 'Zend friendly' way, you can easily start to convert it to Zend:
$select = $this->select()->setIntegrityCheck(false);
$select->from(array('u'=>'users'), '');
$select->join(array('p'=>'profile'), 'p.user_id = u.ID', '');
$select->join(array('r'=>'relationships'), 'IF(r.usera={$user}, u.ID=r.userb, u.ID=r.usera)', '');
$select->join(array('t'=>'relationship_types'), 't.ID = r.type', '');
$select->columns(array(
't.plural_name',
'users_name'=>'p.name',
'u.ID'));
$select->where('r.usera={$user}');
$select->orWhere('r.userb={$user}');
$select->where('r.accepted=1');
And that should do the job.

Answer 2

You can take this as example:(though its not complete)
<?php
$this->_query = $this->_DB->select()->from(array('u'=>'users'),array('(u.ID)'))
->join(array('p'=>'profile'),
'p.user_id = u.ID',
'p.name AS users_name')
->join(array('r'=>'relationships'),
'r.userb = u.ID')
->join(array('t'=>'relationship_types'),
't.ID = r.type',
't.plural_name')
->where('t.ID = r.type AND r.accepted = 1')
->where('r.usera = :user')
->orWhere('r.userb = :user')
->bind(array('user'=>$user));

Answer 3

For really complex queries it might be easier just to use SQL. It is only important that all parameters going into the query are properly escaped to prevent SQL injections.